The Challenge with Changelings
by AmyCoolz
Summary: So this is eventually rated M, but this is just a teaser, so I'll call it T. My friend made me do this. I apologize whole-heartedly.


Spock looked from the bit of mistletoe above his door to Kirk. "Captain, may I speak freely?"

Kirk grinned widely. "Of course, Commander. What is it?"

"What was the purpose of placing that up there when it should only be taken down now? Logically, it never should have gone up. Even less logical would be my removing it now when you and/or the crew will undoubtedly put it right back up over the next Christmas season."

Jim's grin was disappearing slowly throughout his First Officer's speech. "But it's a Christmas tradition." He pouted slightly. "Look, I don't make the rules."

"You're the captain," Spock pointed out.

"Yeah, but…" He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't make _these_ rules, the Christmas traditions rules. I just follow them."

The half-Vulcan nodded. "Since I do not participate in that holiday, I will not be taking this mistletoe down, Captain."

Before Kirk could protest, there was a message from overhead. "Kep-tan, you and Meester Spock are needed on zeh breedge."

Jim smirked. "That's fine with me, Commander." He walked over to the communicator console and told Chekov they would be there momentarily.

"Yezzir."

Spock began walking down the hall towards a Turbolift, stepping in when the door slid open.

Kirk followed Spock into the Turbolift, announcing "Bridge" to the console. When they reached the bridge, he stepped off first.

Spock followed, going over to his console.

Chekov, a young Russian man, spun in his chair. "Kep-teen! Ve are peeking up soom strange transmeesion!"

Spock's gaze went to a young black woman, their communications officer, but he said nothing.

Uhura glanced at Spock and when they locked eyes, she looked away quickly. Their break-up hadn't exactly been the easiest. "Captain, the transmission we're receiving seems to be coming from Delta Vega."

"But Delta Vega hasn't been inhabited since-" he glanced at Spock and cleared his throat. "-since I was there last with Scotty."

"What do the transmissions say, Lieutenant?"

"I'm not sure," she said, pressing a few more buttons on her console. "It's in a language I'm not familiar with."

"It's not English?" Kirk demanded; when he was marooned there with Scotty that's all that was spoken. Who could have taken over the base?

"Captain, with all due respect, I think I would recognize the English language if I heard it," she snapped.

"I am sure the captain spoke rhetorically, Lieutenant. Will you playback the transmission?"

Uhura scowled in Spock's direction before removing her headset and pressing a button on the console. Static filled the silent space in the bridge before a low rumbling sound was heard, followed by continuous clicks of varying lengths.

"Lieutenant Uhura," Kirk stated, grinning smugly. "Do you not recognize the ancient 'language' of Morse Code?"

Spock replayed the message in his mind, nodding slightly. "That is what it appears to be."

"So, what does it say, Mr. Spock?" Jim smirked at having outsmarted his communications officer at her own game. She did not look pleased.

"You do not know, Captain?"

"While I'm familiar with it, I have no idea how to decipher it." His smirk subsided as he realized he'd been beaten. _Damn hobgoblin_, he thought.

"He or she is requesting assistance. His or her ship was stolen from him or her and he or she has been left to die," Spock explained. "Should we assist, Captain?"

"Sure, why not, Mr. Spock?" He grinned once again, leaning back in his chair. "I could go for a bit of adventure."

Uhura was baffled. "Sir, what if you're maneuvering us into a dangerous situation?"

"I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle, Lieutenant."

"Captain, perhaps we should run a scan of Delta Vega and make certain that he or she is the only being on that planet," Spock suggested, a slight frown upon his features. It was gone within a millisecond, however, and his usual stoic expression returned.

Jim thought about it; his First Officer was usually right, anyway. "Okay, Commander," he said, beaming at Spock. "Go ahead and scan Delta Vega for any other life forms. We don't want to be flying into a 'dangerous situation,' after all." He glanced at Uhura, who was fuming. Excellent.

"Right avay, sir." Chekov turned away, and he and the Asian man at his side got to work.

"Commander Spock, may I have a word?" Jim asked, not moving from his seat.

Spock walked over to stand beside Kirk's chair. "Yes, Captain?"

He leaned in conspiratorially, whispering, "To be honest, Mr. Spock, I don't have anything of pressing importance to discuss with you; I just find it highly amusing to frustrate Lieutenant Uhura."

"That is illogical, Captain. Why should you and I conversing cause her upset?"

He glanced over at Uhura, who now wasn't trying to hide her anger. "I have no idea, but I want to find out." He looked back up at his First Officer, blue eyes searching dark brown ones. "Tell me, Commander, do you find me attractive?"

"You have an aesthetically pleasing visage, Captain. Though I do not understand why you should ask me this."

"I was just… curious." He placed his head in his hand, propping it on the arm rest. "You are aware of what people do when underneath the mistletoe, correct?"

"I would assume stand, sir, as one would do with anything placed above a doorway."

Jim very nearly face-palmed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted when Sulu spoke up. "Sir, we've scanned the area surrounding where the transmission came from and have not detected any other life forms. Shall we proceed?"

The captain cleared his throat and looked back at Spock, who stood rigid with his hands clasped behind his back. "What do you think, Commander?"

"I suggest we have Mr. Scott beam him or her up, Captain. And have Dr. McCoy check him or her over. There is no knowing how long he or she has been on Delta Vega."

"All right, that's what we'll do." He pressed the communicator button on his chair. "Kirk to the Transporter Room."

"Aye, Cap'n?"

"Mr. Scott, lock onto the signal coming from the Starfleet base on Delta Vega and beam the individual up. Mr. Spock and I will be down to the transporter room shortly. Kirk out."

Spock retained his rigid pose, only lifting a single brow. "Shall we retrieve Dr. McCoy on the way, Captain?"

"I think that would be beneficial, yes." He stood up and motioned for Spock to follow him to the Turbolift. "Sulu, you have the conn."

"Yes, sir."

Spock stepped in and waited for the door to slide shut before saying, "Shall I speak freely, Captain?"

"You shall, Mr. Spock," Kirk replied, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You did not fully explain why you wished my opinion on your level of attractiveness, Captain. Why not ask one of the numerous females who seem to engage your attentions?"

Jim floundered for a moment before composing himself. "I felt it appropriate to cultivate multiple opinions from multiple people, _males_ included." His blush gave him away.

"If your answer is an honest one, then I shall expect you to ask the same question of Dr. McCoy," he said simply and the door slid open. Spock waited for Kirk to step out before following.

"Uh, of course," he said, clearing his throat as the door to MedBay slid open with a w_hoosh_.

Jim looked around MedBay, and after making sure he wasn't going to disturb any patients, he shouted, "Bones!"

"What is it?" The man walked over, looking between Spock and Kirk.

"I, um, had a question," he started, and then quickly added, "and we need you to come with us to the Transporter Room. We're beaming someone up that might need medical attention."

"From where?" he demanded, going to grab a small case. "And what's the question?"

"Delta Vega," Jim said. "And, uh, the question is…" He looked at Spock, who merely raised an eyebrow. "Do you… find me–" _Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into_? "–attractive?" He shut his eyes tightly, awaiting the cutting remark.

"What? I'm a doctor, not a beauty consultant. A man's a man."

Kirk groaned, suspecting as much. "Great, okay, we can go now." He grabbed Bones's arm and dragged him to the Turbolift.

"What sort of idiotic question was that?" McCoy asked, scowling.

Spock followed the men. "The captain seems to have desire to rate his physical qualities."

"I'm an egotistical jerk, so sue me." He shrugged. "Transporter Room," he told the Turbolift, and it started to move.

"No one in here's denying that," McCoy muttered. "What sort of being are we beaming up? Is it even human?"

Jim shot his best friend a pointed look before saying, "We have no idea, to be honest. He or she communicated with us using Morse Code."

McCoy stared at him for a long moment. "What?"

"The individual, who has no doubt been marooned there-" he glanced at Spock when he said this "-sent us a transmission in Morse Code."

Spock merely nodded. "Since when do you know Morse Code?" McCoy asked, eyeing Kirk suspiciously.

"I don't _know_ Morse Code, per se. I can recognize it, sure. Hell, I was the one who figured out that's what it was in the first place."

"Then how do we know what it said?"

"I translated," Spock interjected and now McCoy's suspicion went to him.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," Jim said, suddenly on the defensive.

"So nobody on the entire bridge knows Morse Code, but him? How do we know he translated correctly?"

"Translating incorrectly would be illogical and, therefore, not something I would do."

"Exactly." They reached the Transporter Room and entered. "You can go ahead and beam 'em up, Mr. Scott."

"Right away, sir." He pressed a few buttons on the console. "I've got 'im locked on, Cap'n."

"Energize," Kirk said. The transporter came to life as Scotty pressed a few more buttons.

Spock watched as a human male appeared. He was shivering, wrapped in a tattered blanket. Blonde hair stuck up at odd angles and he appeared to be about Kirk's age. "Th-th-thank you," he managed, teeth chattering. "It was g-g-getting c-c-cold."

"Bones," Kirk said, nodding to the doctor.

He walked over, and ran his tricorder along the shivering man's back. "He seems healthy enough, Captain. We'll get him to Sickbay and get him warmed up. He'll be fine."

"All right, Bones. Call us down when we can speak with him."

McCoy nodded and walked out. Spock looked at Kirk, brow lifted. "Do you not have a question for Mr. Scott, Captain?"

Jim pleaded to Spock with his eyes. He sighed when he realized he wasn't getting out of this. "Mr. Scott," he said, looking at the engineer - who in turn was looking between Jim and Spock – "do you find me attractive?"

Scotty looked highly confused. "I… You do have a sorta… aura about you, I guess. Yah," he finally stated.

Nodding, Spock turned and started back to the Turbolift.

Jim followed him, grumbling all the way. They stepped inside and once the doors shut, he said, "Bridge."

"Am I still able to speak freely, Captain?"

"Of course, Commander."

Spock was silent for a moment, hands linked behind his back, posture straight. "I do not expect any more illogical questions from you, sir."

Kirk was fuming, heat radiating around him and in the small space of the Turbolift. He turned around and smashed the button to make the lift stop. "Oh, you don't, do you?" he demanded, hands flailing in wild gestures. "Just what gives you the right?!"

Spock gazed at him calmly. "Your volatile reaction is unnecessary."

"I'll tell you what's unnecessary," he yelled, extending a finger in Spock's face. "Your continued attempts to make me look like a fool in front of the whole ship, whether they're intended or not." He ran a hand through his hair, mumbling expletives under his breath.

"I was merely helping you gather your research, unless you lied to me and there was another reason in which you wished to garner my insight into your levels of attractiveness…Captain."

Jim looked at him carefully. "If I told you there was an underlying reason for my asking, would you be upset?"

"I do not believe so, Captain. I wished for truth. Being upset by it would be illogical."

The captain sighed and decided just to end this nonsense. "It's because I also find you… aesthetically pleasing." He'd be damned if he told his First Officer outright that he was attracted to him.

"Ah."

Jim was flustered. "'Ah'? That's all you have to say?" This was not going at _all_ like he had planned. Then again, he never planned to tell him in the first place.

"Yes." He wasn't going to voice his queries, for they made little sense. Why would Kirk ask him such a question based merely on that? Was he merely searching for an answer from someone he felt to be on equal footing with, physically? It was baffling to the half-Vulcan and he certainly did not appreciate being baffled.

"I see." He let his chin his chest in defeat before pressing the button, causing the lift to move once more.

"You are illogical, Captain. Might I retire for a time or do you deem me necessary on the bridge?"

Jim glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, deciding that no, he didn't really _need_ him there. He wanted to retort that he wasn't being illogical, but that would just spark another argument - one he really didn't feel like having at the moment. "Yes, Commander. I'll contact you when we're allowed to converse with the individual in MedBay."

"Good." The door opened for the bridge and Spock nodded. "I will speak with you then, sir."

"Yes, of course." Jim arrived back at the bridge and sat in his chair, head in his hand. "Sulu, update?"

"Nothing has transpired since you left, sir."

"Good." He had never been more relieved to hear that in his life.

Spock traveled back to his own room and walked in, ignoring the mistletoe above his door. What could the captain have on his mind? he wondered and sat on his bed. It would be best, he decided, to meditate and forget the issue altogether.

Spock closed his eyes and did not surface until he heard his name from the communicator on his table. He walked over and switched it on. Kirk's visage appeared on-screen a moment later. "Yes, Captain?"

"Bones has informed me it is safe to speak with the man we beamed up from Delta Vega."

"Ah." He switched off the communicator and walked out of his room. He went to the Turbolift and waited for Kirk to arrive.

Kirk arrived at the Turbolift shortly and they proceeded to have a very tense - on Jim's end, at least - ride down to MedBay. Once there, the captain sought out the doctor. "How is he, Bones?"

"He's fine. A doctor himself." McCoy grinned. "He's working on a serum now that I've offered to help him with. He's from Earth and his ship was stolen from him by unknowns. He was dropped onto Delta Vega a few days ago."

"What is the purpose of the serum?" Jim asked, curious and just a little suspicious.

"A cure for the common cold, it seems. I haven't gone through the whole thing yet, but it's very interesting."

Jim narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Instead he walked over to the biobed the "patient" was currently lying on. The man looked up at him and Kirk said, "I'm Captain James T. Kirk."

The man smiled, holding out a hand. "Then it's you I have to thank for getting me off that planet. The name's Richard Thames."

"_Doctor_ Richard Thames, is that correct?" Jim asked, accepting the hand and shaking firmly. "Working on a serum that will cure the common cold?"

"Ayah. I've been working on it for quite a while now. I was lucky enough to have some of my notes on me and a vial of my medicine when they dropped me. Your, ah, Dr. McCoy here is kind enough to help me out."

"Yes, I'm sure Dr. McCoy will give you any assistance you require." He acknowledged Spock then. "This is my First Officer, Mr. Spock."

"Vulcan?" he said excitedly.

Spock lifted a single brow. "Yes."

"Well, how about that!"

Jim narrowed his eyes at Dr. Thames. "What's so significant about him being Vulcan?"

"Well, I've heard about them, but I've never met one. I've only been off of Earth for a week and, well, that experiment's obviously gone awry."

"Obviously," Jim muttered, and then he caught himself. "Ahem, well… Dr. McCoy, you can assist Dr. Thames with… Whatever it is he needs assistance with. It's getting late."

McCoy grinned. "I'm glad to help a fellow doctor."

Spock just barely avoided smirking.

"Right." Jim nodded. "Well, Dr. Thames, if you have no objections, I'll leave you and Dr. McCoy to discuss your medical business."

"Of course. Ah, could I also ask Mr. Spock to come and see me tomorrow? It would be nice to be able to converse with him. If you don't mind, Mr. Spock."

Jim looked a little hesitant at first, but eventually gave in. "It's fine with me if it is with you, Mr. Spock."

Spock was ready to decline, but Kirk's hesitation was interesting. "I have no trouble with having a conversation with you, Dr. Thames."

Jim's hand gave an involuntary nervous twitch. There was something about this Dr. Thames that he didn't quite like. He felt Bones could handle it if something were to happen, but he was feeling overprotective of his First Officer. And he definitely didn't like the fact that they were going to be alone together tomorrow night. He growled almost inaudibly at the thought.

Spock didn't let anything show on his face, but he could sense Kirk's strong disapproval. Dr. Thames smiled. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow, then. Lunch work?"

"Quite well," Spock agreed.

Dr. McCoy drew him into conversation, grinning widely.

"Well, Mr. Spock, I do believe it is time to retire for the evening." They bid the doctors adieu and walked to the Turbolift.

Once they were moving, Spock resumed his usual rigid stance. "Captain, I'll assume that I am still able to speak freely, and ask what you find so undesirable about my spending an hour with Dr. Thames."

"Spock," he said, reverting back to off-duty terms. "To put it bluntly, Dr. Thames 'rubs me the wrong way.' I don't like how excited he was when he found out you were Vulcan."

"He is merely an over-excited earthling. I have come to expect such things from humans."

Despite his earlier mood, Jim chuckled at Spock's statement. "Is that supposed to be a dig against me or humans in general?"

"It isn't a dig against anyone. It is merely a statement of observation."

"Uh-huh," Jim said, unconvinced. He nudged Spock in the ribs, knowing that would probably get a reaction from his First Officer.

Spock took a step back. "Please restrain yourself from touching me, Captain."

"What's the matter, Spock?" he teased, knowing full well that Vulcans had the power of touch-telepathy.

"What are you trying to do, Captain?"

He smirked. "Elicit an emotional response from you, of course."

"You are illogical. You have no reasons for eliciting one."

The Turbolift reached their floor and Kirk stepped out before Spock. "Do I _need_ a reason to provoke you, Spock?" he asked, looking pointedly at the mistletoe that still hung above Spock's door.

Spock looked at the mistletoe as well, rather confused by his expression. "A reason would be more logical, Captain."

"It's Jim when we're off-duty, Spock," he said. "And logic isn't always the answer to everything."

"It's preferable, Ca… Hm. I am going to sleep. Goodnight."

Jim grinned widely, accepting that if he couldn't get an emotional response, he could at least get him to stammer a little. "Goodnight, Spock."

With a nod, Spock walked into his room and let the door slide shut.

He watched as his First Officer retired to his quarters before turning and walking down the corridor to his own room, whistling all the while.

STARTREKRULES

**Note:** Yeah, this isn't the whole thing. If you wanna read the rest, go to the FanFiction page of WeBeOsm. It's the same story name and everything. This is just a teaser. XD Hope you guys enjoy the whole story!

P.S. I didn't really wanna do this 'cause it's not my style, but my dumbass friend, StarTheHedgeCat, made me do it. Lol So blame her.


End file.
